Former Roots member Malik B., who hasnt been a full-time member since the mid-90s, lends vocals to three tracks on the album.

During the listening event, Black Thought said of his Def Jam president: “In a lot of places Jay-Z is considered God, Philly, our hometown being one of them. So if you’re rolling with Jesus, you got one up on somebody that’s not a disciple. When people see that we’re signed to Def Jam, the perception has changed. That holds a lot more weight on a street level than [former label] Geffen Records does.”